Marseille soap is an essential basic for eko cleaning. It is a very effective multi-purpose option. It is very economical because, with just one bucket of soap, a lot of household cleaning needs are solved, and even personal hygiene needs .

Today we want to talk to you about the benefits of this soap, what makes it so special and how to get the most out of it by showing you all the uses you can give it.

It is a soap that has its origins in the late Middle Ages and became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming one of the main exports of Marseille , the French region.

Nowadays, almost anything can be called Marseille soap, but we will be referring to the original recipe , which has a specific composition and is made by hand .

WHAT IS THE COMPOSITION OF MARSEILLE SOAP?

Marseille soap has only 4 ingredients , which are also of natural origin :

• Water
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Caustic soda

You can find soaps made with other oils, such as rapeseed, linseed or sesame oil. The one we have at Alma Eko only contains olive oil and has 72% fatty acids , as it is considered to have according to the original recipe.

Other traditional soaps have a very similar composition, such as Castile soap or Aleppo soap. The latter contains laurel and neither of them has salt among their ingredients. It is precisely this element that makes Marseille soap especially effective for cleaning tasks.

IN WHAT FORMATS CAN YOU FIND MARSEILLE SOAP?

Traditional soap , made by hand , comes in 600-gram cubes , which have been pressed and engraved to indicate their weight and the amount of fatty acids. At Alma Eko you can find it like this and also in 400- and 100-gram cubes. In addition, we have the flakes , which is the same soap processed to have that format that is very useful for certain uses and to facilitate the creation of your own liquid or powdered cleaning products .

Let's look, then, at the different ways in which it can be used and prepared.

HOW TO USE MARSEILLE SOAP

Let's start with the perhaps lesser-known uses of Marseille soap, which are those related to personal hygiene .

• Hand and body soap

You can cut Marseille soap cubes into smaller pieces and use them for different purposes. You can place one of these pieces in the soap dish on your sink and use it as a hand soap . It also works as a body soap in the shower. Due to its high olive oil content, it is moisturizing and nourishing . In addition, it is considered a pH neutral soap.

• Shampoo and mask

It can also be used as a hair shampoo . Keep in mind that it is a very basic soap, so it may be suitable for normal hair. Also oily hair, since salt and olive oil help to slow down the production of sebum. But, if like me, you have dry hair, I think it is not the best option in our case. At least not as a regular shampoo.

However, this soap is known to be used as a mask , for occasional use, and this is for everyone, since it is mixed with other components that add more hydration.

It would involve mixing a couple of tablespoons of Marseille soap, diluted in a little water, with some vegetable oil , such as almond , olive, avocado , coconut , castor oil … and distribute it through the hair, from the middle to the ends. Leave it to sit for at least 30 minutes and rinse with plenty of water.

• Oral hygiene

We have not tested this use, but it is known to have been quite widespread. The truth is that olive oil and salt are ingredients that help heal and maintain healthy gums . We think that there are more suitable oral hygiene options that are specially designed for this, but Marseille soap can be a solution for occasional or even emergency use.

• Pets

It can also be used as a shampoo for your dog . We assure you that the result will be soft and shiny hair .

We are now going to talk about the most widespread use of Marseille soap, which is for cleaning . The possibilities are endless. We are going to tell you a few here, but we are sure there are more. If you use it in another way, we would love for you to let us know.

• Wash clothes

This is its most common use and the reason it became popular . It is a powerful stain remover for clothing. Starting with the pre-wash, since it can be used to pre-treat stains, rubbing the tablet on the clothing , as you can see in this video .

In the washing machine you can use it three different ways:

• In flakes : put a couple of tablespoons in the washing machine drawer . Some people also put it directly in the drum .
• In liquid form : you can make your own washing machine soap by mixing 800 ml of hot water with 50 grams of Marseille soap and 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda . Once it has cooled, add 15-20 drops of the essential oil you like (or laundry perfume) and a teaspoon of guar gum, which will give it a gel-like texture. Blend the mixture and let it sit until it gels. You can see the final result in this video .
• Powder : You can also make it yourself. You need 400 grams of Marseille soap (powdered), 500 grams of baking soda and 500 grams of sodium percarbonate . If you want, you can add 40-50 drops of lemon essential oil or any other oil you like. Mix everything well and that's it. I like this option the most.

• Washing dishes

What a discovery this was for me! It is a soap with great degreasing power, so it works great for scrubbing dishes.

Again, you can use it in different ways:

1. In flakes : if you use a dishwasher, you can put a tablespoon of Marseille soap in flakes in the dishwasher. You can also add a teaspoon of bicarbonate and citric acid to achieve greater degreasing power and shine effect.
2. In liquid form : the same recipe for liquid laundry soap can be used to wash dishes.
3. Solid soap : my preferred option. The same Marseille soap cube, without doing anything to it, can be used to hand-wash your dishes. You just have to rub your sponge or brush on the soap bar, so that it is well impregnated, and scrub as normal. It is very effective and long-lasting.

• Clean surfaces

You can clean all kinds of surfaces with Marseille soap . Countertops, furniture, sink, washbasin, bathtub, shower, floors… You can clean everything with this soap. As we have seen with the dishes, you can rub the scouring pad on the soap bar and then clean any surface. For the floor, you can include a couple of tablespoons in the mop bucket. But my favorite option, without a doubt, is this multipurpose cleaner recipe. You only need: 1 teaspoon of baking soda , 3 teaspoons of Marseille soap , 400 ml of hot water and 5-15 drops of lemon essential oil . Mix everything in a spray bottle and you have it ready to use on any surface. You can see the step-by-step recipe at this video .

These are all the uses we know about Marseille soap. Do you think we've missed any? Do you use it for something different?